Although present devices are functional, they are not sufficiently accurate or otherwise satisfactory. Accordingly, a system and method are needed to address the shortfalls of present technology and to provide other new and innovative features.
In motor vehicles of different categories, cleaning systems for cleaning of headlamps and other surfaces are used. The outer surfaces of headlamps and windshields are subjected to a permanent influence of weather and dirt in the air. In order to guarantee the safety of the passengers of the vehicle, cleaning systems are used for the reduction of weather and dirt deposits on these surfaces.
Turning first to cleaning systems for headlamps. First developments in this field provided brush configurations which clean the surface of headlamps in a similar manner as screen wipers. These brush configurations are expensive mechanical arrangements which require high efforts in production and maintenance. Thus, they are expensive and inappropriate to be used in motor vehicles of all price categories.
A further development in this field consists in the cleaning of headlamps by means of high pressure systems. These systems are used to spray a cleaning fluid with high pressure onto the surface of headlamps. The cleaning is achieved by the impact of the cleaning liquid on the headlamp surface. However, the disadvantage of these systems consists in the fact that on the one hand high fluid volumes are necessary for such a cleaning and on the other hand the tube system, the nozzles and the pump for the conducting of the cleaning fluid have to be adapted to high pressure. Based on the technical requirements of the cleaning system, it is correspondingly expensive in its manufacture. Thus, this cleaning system is inappropriate to be installed in motor vehicles of lower price. A further disadvantage consist in the high consumption of cleaning liquid in these systems. The cleaning liquid is made of water and different additives such as antifreeze or other solvents. Since these additives have a strong impact on the environment, the consumption of cleaning liquid has to be reduced.
The WO 98/56628 discloses a cleaning system for headlamps which provides a reduced consumption of cleaning liquid compared to already known systems based on its construction including, for example, the nozzle configurations. However, at the walls of these nozzle configurations, the cleaning liquid is deviated several times which leads to a loss of pressure in the system. Therefore, high pressure is necessary to effectively spray the cleaning liquid on the headlamps. Accordingly, this pressure requires a corresponding stable construction of the cleaning system. Furthermore, the relatively big openings of the nozzle configuration lead to a high consumption of cleaning liquid.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning system for headlamps and/or panes which cleans the surface of headlamps in a more effective and saving manner compared to the prior art.